A pair of bank customers, one at Wells Fargo and the other at Bank of America, say they’ve been hit by similar scams – but only one got their money back.
Maine business owner Amy Kelly says she recently received a call from what she believed was Bank of America, reports the CBS-affiliated news station WGME.
The caller convinced Kelly that her account was under attack, and tricked her into wiring thousands of dollars out to supposedly protect her funds.
Kelly filed reports with the police and the bank, but BofA says she will not be reimbursed and has not responded to news requests for comment.
The bank’s decision aligns with the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, which states that once a customer authorizes a transfer, businesses are typically not liable for any resulting issues unless certain conditions are met.
A similar situation happened to New Jersey paramedic Ziamara Lopez, who received a call with “Wells Fargo Bank” displayed as the caller ID, reports ABC7 New York.
The scammer on the line convinced Lopez to hand over access codes to the account and even sent an Uber driver to her house to collect her debit card for “forensic analysis.”
Lopez lost $20,000 and her claim was denied. But her fortunes changed after she contacted the local news station.
“Wells Fargo eventually revived Lopez’s account in full after 7 On Your Side reached out to the financial institution.
‘If it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have my money back. Thank you so much,’ she said.”
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